All the Rage

Adam Fawley
3 April 2018
10.46

Harrison must have done some sort of a deal with Facilities because his office is actually warm. He isn't even wearing his jacket, which is on a hanger on the coat stand in the far corner. A proper coat hanger. With satin padding. I suspect there's a clothes brush in his drawer too though I've never actually seen it.

He looks up at me and gestures to the chair.

`˜Your PA said you wanted a quick chat, sir. About the Appleford assault.'

He sits back. `˜On the hate crime angle specifically. The Area Commander wants an update.'

`˜Enquiries are still ongoing, sir. We've turned up nothing conclusive so far.'

`˜Which reminds me,' he says, perking up a little, `˜I gather the new addition to your team has rather distinguished himself on this one.'

I feel my nerves prickling; he has no business knowing that.

`˜It was good solid policework, sir. What I expect from all my team.'

He looks at me, and then away. For some reason, he wants Asante to do well. And not just because he was the one who hired him.

`˜So,' he says, `˜is there any progress on running down the perp?'

His bloody vocabulary gets more transatlantic by the day. If he starts talking about `˜unsubs' I may actually have to kill him.

`˜We've identified several vans that were on Cherwell Drive and the Marston Ferry Road at the right time, sir. We're endeavouring to establish if the drivers have valid alibis, but beyond that we have very little to go on.'

Harrison frowns, picks up his pen and starts tapping it. I'm trying not to let it irritate me.

`˜What about an appeal `“ asking the public for help?'

So that's it. I wonder, for a tiny moment, if he's been talking to Gis `“ whether that's where Gis got it from. But he can't have `“ Gis wouldn't go behind my back `“

`˜I'm not sure that's a good idea, sir. It could cause significant and completely unnecessary alarm `“'

His frown deepens. `˜I'm not sure the quick wins might not outweigh any potential downside.'

Jesus. He'll be talking about low-hanging fruit next.

`˜We can certainly keep it as an option, sir.'

`˜So you'll have a word with the Press Office `“ tee them up, just in case?'

I get to my feet, glad of any excuse to get out of there `“ to make this conversation stop. And it's not his turgid bloody lingo I'm talking about now. To paraphrase those immortal words, I do not have to say anything, but it's quite another thing not mentioning it when questioned at point-blank range.

`˜Absolutely, sir. I'll get on to them right away.'

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